


Broken Hearts

by RandoFando_Spoonie



Series: Whumptober 2020 [13]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Grief, Post-Movie: The Old Guard (2020), mourning a loved one, no.19, whumptober2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27102685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandoFando_Spoonie/pseuds/RandoFando_Spoonie
Summary: It wasn't even twenty years into his exile when he got the call. He'd dreaded the call every day for those years. He wasn't ready, he'd never be ready.
Relationships: Andy | Andromache & Booker | Sebastien le Livre & Joe | Yusuf al-Kaysani & Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Andy | Andromache of Scythia/Nile Freeman/Quynh | Noriko
Series: Whumptober 2020 [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947640
Comments: 8
Kudos: 59





	Broken Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> No. 19: Broken Hearts: Grief / Mourning a Loved One / Survivor's Guilt

It wasn't even twenty years into his exile when he got the call. He'd dreaded the call every day for those years. He picked up the phone, held it to his ear, he was still behind the times.

“Hello?” He hadn't recognized the number, so he was cautious.

“Booker?” It as Nicky's voice, not the one he'd have thought would have called him, not until he heard Nile sobbing the background and he knew why Nicky was the one calling.

He fell to his knees, eyes welling up, “When?”

“About an hour ago.”

A heart broken sob wrenched from him, his head hanging low. _Have a little faith Book._

“C-Can I come to the service?”

“I wouldn't have called otherwise.”

And wasn't that a punch in the balls, but it made sense. He'd know when they'd left him on the beach that when he came back Andy would be gone. But to know they likely wouldn't have told him for certain when she'd died, that hurt.

“It was what she wanted.” Nicky mumbled, there were tears in his voice, “She made us promise.”

Booker sobbed harder, unable to speak for a long few moments, mercifully, or perhaps not, Nicky stayed on the line, let Booker do what he needed.

“Text or email me the details, whatever's easier. I'll be there.” He promised.

“I will.” Nicky agreed, there was a long silence, almost as if Joe and Nicky were sharing a look, having one of their infuriating silent conversations, “We miss you.”

Another sob wracked his body, “I miss you too.” He admitted and he did, desperately. “I'll see you soon.”

“I'll be at the airport.”

“Okay.”

Booker hung up the phone and stayed on the floor for a long time. Long enough his legs cramped when he tried to stand up. He stumbled, caught himself on the table and waited for the pain to pass.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Two days later Booker deplaned, got his bags and made his way to arrivals where Nicky, looking sombre and smaller than Booker'd ever seen him, stood dressed in black, dark sunglasses on his eyes which Book could only assume was to hide the aching sadness he must be feeling from the general public because how do explain that depth of pain to anyone that didn't know their history.

He paused a few feet away, “Hello Nicky.”

“Hello Booker.” Nicky's voice was tight, full of emotion and the Italian took half a step forward before Booker met him part way and the two embracing tightly, shaking in each other's hold.

Booker cupped the back of Nicky's head, like Andy often did, and the movement drew a soft sob from the older man, and wasn't that a mind trip given he'd been twelve years older than Nicky had at the time of their first deaths.

They separated, cleared their throats softly and Nicky spoke again, “We should get back.”

Booker nodded and followed Nicky to the car. He deposited his bags in the trunk and got into the passenger's side of the car. The ride back to their current safe house was rough.

“How?”

Nicky frowned, not sure he wanted to tell Booker the truth, “Cancer.” He said finally, “It was too advanced when they found it. You know Andy, she never complained.”

Booker swore violently in French, looking out the window, nodding slowly. “No, she didn't.”

It ached, deeper than he thought to talk of Andy in the past tense, to know he'd never see her again.

“The others?” He queried, though he had a feeling he knew.

“Struggling.”

Booker nodded, “I figured.”

They pulled up to the house, Nicky killed the engine and sighed, “Let's go.”

Booker nodded, got his bags and followed Nicky into the small house. It was more modern than most, though it was still outdated by current standards. He had a feeling Nile was responsible for that.

Speaking of, the wind was nearly driven out of his lungs as Nile ran into him, wrapped her arms around him and just hung on. He dropped his bag on the floor and wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back. There was a creak of a floorboard and Booker looked up, Joe was standing in the door way between the entry/living area and what Booker assumed as the kitchen, possibly the dining room. He looked tired, achingly so, like he hadn't slept in weeks, hadn't eaten much either. The last time Booker remembered Joe looking like this was when they were at Merrick's labs and he'd just killed Keane, he looked, wrung out, exhausted.

Booker watched Joe a moment and then carefully, without disturbing Nile, opened an arm, offering to let Joe into the hug. Joe hesitated for a moment and then closed the space between them and wrapped himself around Booker, face burrowing into the Frenchman's neck.

He broke down then, held safe in Joe and Nile's arms, the three of them grieving for Andy, for lost time, and Booker for all the mistakes he'd made, the things he could have had with Andy, with Joe and Nicky, with Nile and Quynh. He felt a slender body press against him from behind, arms wrap around his waist and he knew it was Quynh. He'd gotten her in touch with Copley who'd helped her reunite her with the rest of the group. It hadn't been an easy reunion he'd heard, but it had happened and Booker was glad Quynh got more time with the before the end.

Joe shifted and Booker felt Nicky's forehead against his shoulder, he broke further, deeper than he thought he could. It shouldn't be Andy in that box, wherever she was at the moment, it should be him. He was the one who betrayed them, who'd prayed for an end, who'd destroyed everything. Andy shouldn't have paid the price for his selfishness, his greed, his anger and bitterness.

~*~*~*~*~

The buried Andy the next day, according to her wishes. Booker desperately wanted a drink, but he knew he owed to Andy, to all of them, to feel this. He deserved it. The service was short, sweet, it was just the five of them. They walked back to the safe house when they were done and had a meal. Booker wasn't looking forward to leaving but he had another nearly 80 years of exile ahead of him. He knew the only reason he was back here was because of Andy. And it would be over soon.

“Nicky, my uh...my flight back is tomorrow. Will you drive me to the airport?” He spoke as they were finishing their meal

Nicky blinked at him, “Booker, Andy didn't just want you back for the service. She wanted you _back_.”

Booker made a soft, choked noise. “No, 100 years that was the price.”

“It was too long.” Quynh sighed, “Nile forgave you easiest, Andy forgave you once I came home and things were sorted out.”

Nicky and Joe exchanged looks, “We forgave you when Andy got sick. Or maybe sooner, I don't know.” Joe spoke for them, “It doesn't matter, the point is. We don't want you to leave.”

Nile reached over, rested a hand over Booker's, had to feel it trembling, “Come home Booker.”

“Please Sebastien, come home.”

Booker's eyes snapped to Nicky at the use of his formal name, one he hadn't heard in nearly a century. He swallowed thickly but nodded.

“It's all I've wanted since I left.”

That night as Booker got into bed, he looked at the four people in the room with him, Quynh and Nile snuggled together just to have someone to hold, Joe and Nicky curled together as always and sighed.

It may have taken a deeper pain than any of them had felt in a very long time, but he was home.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to follow me on Tumblr: RandoFando-Spoonie
> 
> As always kudos/comments aren't necessary but very much appreciated!


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